As much as I love traveling, I admit it can be an expensive hobby. Therefore, I’m always looking for ways to save money and increase my travel fund. Here are a few tips to save money for your next dream vacation!

1. Set up automatic deductions from your salary to go to a specific savings account set aside for travel.
2. Sign up for a credit card which earns airlines miles or hotel points. Pay it off immediately to avoid accruing unnecessary debt.
3. Set up a mileage account with ALL of your most frequently used airlines. Keep in mind, it takes some time to earn enough miles for a free flight. Choosing to fly the same airline as often as possible, will allow you to earn enough miles for a free flight quicker. Most international airlines belong to an alliance where you can also earn miles with most U.S airlines.
4. Take clothes/ accessories you no longer wear to a consignment shop like Crossroads to add money to your travel account. LetGo is also an app where you can sell everything from furniture to household items.
5. Take a carry-on to avoid paying baggage fees. Typically a checked bag is included for international travel and for certain airline credit cards.
6. Book a hotel or Airbnb which provides breakfast.
7. Sign up for websites like theflightdeal.com to save money on flights to both domestic and international destinations from many major cities. Secretflying.com is also a great resource where you can find travel deals.

How do you save extra money for a vacation? How far in advance do you start saving up?